Safety device for railroads



N. 1. SAULS.. v SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-13,1918- Patented July 27, 1920.

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a Mu mm N. J. SAULS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 1.3,. 1918.

Patented July 27, 1920.

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N. J. SAULS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROADS.-

APPLICATION FILED, NOV 13, 1918.

Patented July 27, 1920.

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NORRIS J. sA s, oFrLA vr CITY, FLORIDA.

. SAFETY :DEVICE FOR RAILROADS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nonn s J. SAULs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Plant City, in the county of Hillsborough and State of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Railroads, of which the following is a specification. w

This invention relates to a safety device for railroads. 1

In carrying out the invention it is my purposeto produce means for automatically stopping a train approaching a burnt or otherwise destroyed bridge or trestle.

It is my purpose to arrange upon a railway trestle weighted elements normally held against movement by fusible or readily breakable means, which means, however, is of sufficient strength to withstand the vibration to which the trestle is subjected incident to the rolling stock passing thereover, the said weighted mea'ns controlling suitable trips arranged to the opposite-sides of the trestle and held normally in inactive position, but brought to active position to engage with a valve connected with the air system of a train approaching the trestle, to open such valve and to actuate the brakes of the train, when the weighted elements have dropped by the destruction of the fusible connecting means or by the breakage thereof, incident to the destruction of the bridge by burning or from other causes.

The drawings, accompanying this specification illustrate a simple and satisfactory embodiment of the present invention, and in the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View illustrating the improvement;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a similar view but showing the arrangement of parts when the weighted elements have dropped and also illustrating the contact members in position to actuate the bleed valve on the air brake system of a train;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bleed valve and the operating levers therefor;

Fig. 6 is an approximately central longitudinal sectional view through the same; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional View approximately on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings a railway track 10 passes Specification of Letters Patent. P tentedJuly 27, 1920 Application filed November 13, 1918. Serial No. 262,316.

.over a culvert, stream or the like and hasits ties, 11, at this portion of the track supported upon a trestle 12.

The trestle 12 at its center, and adjacent the ends thereof is provided with transverse rods 13 respectively. These rods not only project beyond the sides of the rails but preferably extend beyond the sides of the trestle and provide shafts for parallel spaced arms 14.- which have connected. to the outer ends thereof weighted, preferably cross sec tionally square, members 15. The weights are so hung that the same will be received between the ties 11 and the trestle, and the same are held in such position by fusible plates 16 secured in any desired or preferred manner to the under faces of the ties. It is here to be stated that the fusible plates may be of easily breakable material, but are sufficiently strong to withstand thevibration to which the trestle is subjected, under all conditions. I

Centrally journaled" on one of the end and on the center rods 13, at the opposite sides of the trestle 12 are levers 17. These levers have their lower ends hook-shaped as at 18, the said hooks engaging with the arms 14 of the respective weighted elements 15, and being held in one positionby such engagement. Oppositely disposed pairs of levers have their. upper ends connected by links 19, and the outer levers have their upper ends connected with rods 20 which,

'of course, extend in opposite directions with respect to the track 10. Preferably, but not necessarily, the rods 20 each comprise two having its inner arm provided with an extension 22 to which the outer end of the respective rods 20 are connected. The trips 21 normally rest flat upon their supports, and are held in such position by the engagement of the levers with the arms of the weighted elements 15, but it will be apparent that should the fusible plates 16 melt, incident to the trestle catching on fire or On the locomotive 24: which travels in.

either direction over the track 10 is arranged a bleed valve 25 that is connected with the air brake system for the locomotive and for the train hauled bythe locomotive. In the present, instance, the valve 25 is normally closed, being influenced, by a spring 26 ar-.

ranged upon a yoke 27 that straddles the pipe 28 to which the valve is connected. On

the pipe 28 is secured a collar 29, preferably in the nature of a split member having its ends extended in spaced parallel relation, and passing through these ends is the inner end of an L-shaped trip member 30. The angle portion'of the trip member. 30, which passes through the ends of the collar, and which is indicated for distinction by the numeral 31 also engages in an eye 32v provided upon'a crank lever 33, one end of the lever being loosely connected as at 34 to the yoke 27 and the other end being provided with a flat extension 35 that is contacted by a spring 36 mounted upon a suitable pin 37 arranged upon a casing 38 surrounding or connected with the pipe 28. The trip 30 is always in a position to engage with the contact member or trip 31 of a track construction when the latter is swung to its vertical position, and engagement between these trips will open the pipe 28 to the atmosphere, causing the application of the brakes, in the well known manner, and thus halting the train before the same reachesthe trestle.

From the foregoing, the simplicity and advantages of the construction will, it is thought, be apparent, but it isto be understood that the nature of the invention is such prising a divided trip at one side of a track which crosses the trestle,.a rod connectedto said trip, levers-arranged in opposed pairs pivoted to the sides of the trestle, weighted means connected on the opposed pairs of levers, fusible and braka'ble plates connected to the under face of the trestle and supporting thereon the weighted means of the confronting pairs of levers and causing the said pairs of levers to assume, opposite angular positions, and connecting means between the rod and levers for normally retaining the trip in its lower horizontal position. 7 2. A means for braking an engine approaching a trestle in the event of the trestle being damaged fronrfire or other causes, comprising a substantially U-shaped trip having its parallel arms offset and pivoted to one side of a track which crosses'the trestle, one of the offset ends having an extension providing astop for holding the trip in vertical position, a pivoted rod connected to the opposite offset end of the trip, levers arranged in. opposed pairs journaled at the opposite sides of the trestle, weighted means connected to each opposed pair oflevers, fusible and brakable plates connected to the under face of the trestle, and supporting thereon the weighted means of .the confronting pairs of levers for holding such pairs of levers at opposite angles, and adjustable connecting means between the rod and levers normally sustaining the trip in its lower horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NORRIS J. SAULS. 

